Stories from Monday, July 27, 2020

The ability to defend your home, your family, and your property is a right that is absolutely protected here in Missouri. It’s also a right that has become even more essential as liberal mayors have failed to control violent mobs that are roaming the streets of their cities and have nothing to do with justice for George Floyd.

Two area men were seriously injured in recent unrelated crashes, including one crash that involved a Missouri State Highway Patrol vehicle. At about 8:38 p.m., Ian S. Johnston, 19, of Poplar Bluff was operating a 1989 Chevrolet pickup eastbound on U.S. 60, one mile north of Fisk, in Stoddard County, according to a highway patrol report...

City firefighters responded to a call at 4:36 a.m. Monday, July 27, of a motor-vehicle accident at Highland Drive and Westwood Boulevard. Upon their arrival, firefighters found police and EMS crews already had attended to the vehicles’ occupants. _ City firefighters responded to a call at 6:02 p.m. Sunday, July 26, of a vehicle fire at the intersection of B and E streets...

MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL A 19-year-old Cape Girardeau resident was injured in a one-vehicle crash at 10 p.m. Sunday, July 26, on County Road 540, five miles west of Morehouse, in Stoddard County. According to the report, Skylar L. Barr was operating a 2006 Pontiac G6 northbound when it ran off the road and struck a ditch...

FESTUS, Mo. -- Roberta “Bobbie” Ellis, age 93, of Wappapello, Missouri, formerly of Festus, Missouri, passed away Saturday, July 25, 2020, at Puxico Nursing Center in Puxico, Missouri. She was born April 17, 1927, in Chloride, Missouri, the daughter of the late Hattie (nee Knight) and Allen Markham...

Tony Rhodes, age 75, of Fisk, died Sunday, July 26, 2020, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Rhodes was born Jan. 1, 1945 in Qulin. Tony was a farmer and horseman. He enjoyed all aspects of raising and training horses. He enjoyed riding around sightseeing. He was a friend to many and would help them anyway he could. He attended Thousand Hills Cowboy Church at Fisk...

A Williamsville man will continue to be held without bond after he appeared in court Monday morning on charges of creating child pornography and statutory sodomy. Jeffrey L. Downing appeared before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce for a bond reduction hearing in his case...

Four candidates are competing in this year’s Butler County public administrator race. Incumbent Sharron Payne faces challengers Cheryl Baker, Jeffrey Darnell and Margie Shipman. All of the candidates were asked the same series of question. Their information is presented in ballot order...

Trying to hold back his emotions, James Smith thanked everyone around him Monday afternoon as he celebrated earning his commercial driver’s license. It’s a feat that almost didn’t happen. Smith is in a drug treatment program at the Community Supervision Center in Poplar Bluff, said his parole officer, Cheryl Hicks, and until recently was a daily drug user...

This year’s Twin Rivers Back to School Fair will look different to keep the students and volunteers safe, but they still need help. Board member and organizer Donna Sue Ashcraft-Fincher said it will be a drive-thru for families to pick up school supplies from 1-5 p.m. Aug. 5. It is open to any student within the district...